<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Chikara by Tryals</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883360">Chikara</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tryals/pseuds/Tryals'>Tryals</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Demons, Edo Period, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Doing A Lot of Research, I'm trying my best, Japanese Culture, Japanese Mythology &amp; Folklore, My First AO3 Post, Samurai, Tag As I Go, Uchiha Itachi Being a Good Brother, Unbeta'd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:23:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tryals/pseuds/Tryals</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“When the rice seller called Sakura-sama a witch…” Itachi let his thought, his question, trail at the end, hoping that Kakashi would take the bait. He did with a chuckle. </p>
<p>“Oh, he meant it quite literally,” he informed.<br/>______<br/>Itachi seeks the help from the fabled Toad and Slug Sages, only to find a pink-haired witch and her trusty demon on the side of Mount Fuji. Hopefully, they will be able to help him with his family problems... before Sasuke can sink all of Japan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Haruno Sakura/Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi, One-sided Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. An Adventure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’m looking for Jiraiya-sama.”</p><p>The elderly man selling bags of rice in the bustling market gave him a shrewd look through thick, long tangling gray eyebrows and squinting eyes. Bent over slightly from what seemed to be an old back injury, he shook his head in in dismissal. </p><p>“The Great Toad Sage is not here,” he responded. His voice was surprisingly firm. “He and his wench have left the mountain. It’s just his witch of a granddaughter at their home in the woods.”</p><p>“Witch?” Itachi responded. He hadn’t even known that Jiraiya-sama had a granddaughter, much less why she was thought of in such a negative manner. </p><p>Behind him, there was a sigh. The rice trader jumped, his beady black eyes widening slightly while the color drained from his tanned, sun-beaten face; he had not seen the man appear either.</p><p>“You don’t reject the medicines she sends down for your joints, ojii-san,” retorted a voice, firm and sharp. </p><p>A tall, lanky, silver-haired man threw some gold pieces down on the wooden table. One eye and the bottom of his face were covered with black cloth, but his lone visible eye was creased in mock smile. He ran fingerless-gloved hands through his messy silver-grey hair. </p><p>“Or when your grandson fell off the top branches of a tree and needed his bones reset. You didn’t hesitate to accept her help then,” he continued. As almost an afterthought, he pointed to the barrels of dried rice in the stall. “I’d like the usual, please.”</p><p>“The physician was in Edo visiting relatives. The witch was our only option. Beggars can’t be choosers,” was the rice merchant’s bland reply. He turned his back to scoop a plentiful amount of rice into two large containers that the buyer provided. </p><p>“No, I suppose not,” the mysterious man responded almost wistfully, his dark one-eyed gaze drifting briefly to the mountain in the distance until the merchant placed the order on the stall counter. The silver-haired man loaded them into a small mule-drawn cart that he had parked to the side of the road. There were more baskets filled with vegetables, tofu, fish, meats, and tea. </p><p>He scratched his clothed chin. Itachi watched all of this with a dispassionate curiosity, noting the wary, begrudging respect that the old man seemed to give this mysterious stranger. Only once the tall man had loaded the rice did he turn to Itachi. He bowed slightly, more of a nod of his head. </p><p>“M’name’s Kakashi. I am responsible for the security of the Senju family. May I ask why you seek Jiraiya-sama?” he asked politely. Genuine curiosity was bright in his charcoal eye, and he seemed deceptively plain – just a man in the market. Itachi’s eyes glanced from one side to the other, aware that the elderly man was likely eavesdropping. Kakashi noticed too. </p><p>“It can be difficult to get the cart through a stream at the base of the mountain. If you help me with that, I can pay you for your troubles,” he offered, moving to the front of the cart and grabbing the mule’s lead.</p><p>Nodding, Itachi walked side-by-side through the crowded market streets of Fujinomiya, heading northeast towards Mount Fuji. The two men didn’t speak much until they were well out of town. Kakashi led them an unpaved road that went into the heart of the forests of Mount Fuji, seemingly disappearing into black nothingness at the mouth of the great wood. </p><p>When no one was within hearing distance, Itachi murmured his story to Kakashi, who chuckled through the entire thing, surprising the younger man. Many wouldn’t believe the extraordinary tale is traveled all this way with. </p><p>Itachi’s story was an odd one, and when he had finished, Kakashi’s shoulders were shaking with mirth. To Itachi’s genuine surprise, the older man believed every word he said, despite how outlandish it was.</p><p>“You should come and speak to Sakura-hime. She will be able to help you,” Kakashi promised. </p><p>They came to the aforementioned stream, and Itachi helped to stabilize the cart as Kakashi goaded the stubborn mule into going through the deeper parts of the water. </p><p>When they emerged at the other side, Itachi shook the water out of his boots. The autumn had not been mild; the monsoon season had lasted well into the late months, and temperatures had been colder than he could remember in some time. It had been just shy of New Year’s when he left his home to seek Jiriaya, and he estimated that it was into the second week of January now. </p><p>They walked together in silence for almost an hour. It wasn’t until they had fully entered the dark forest and Itachi was sure that no laborers, who were chopping trees in the area, could hear them.<br/>
“I never thought I would meet the infamous Hatake Kakashi Copycat Samurai of the great wars,” he remarked quietly. </p><p>Kakashi’s lazy eye drifted to him before hardening into something sharper, keener. It was as if he was debating whether to admit to his past, but there was no uncertainty in Itachi’s voice. The mild mannered man had turned dangerous, and Itachi didn’t doubt his life was in peril just by being in his presence. An ill-mannered word could have one of the most infamous samurai to live into this new era ready to eliminate him.</p><p>“Ah,” he finally agreed, relaxing slightly into his previous nonchalant demeanor. “I was lucky to find the job I did after the wars. There wasn’t much out there for samurai. Many of my friends are opium addicts and in great debt…of those who survived, that is.”</p><p>They fell silent after that, maneuvering deeper into the woods. Itachi could tell that they were slowly making their way up hill. His legs began to strain under the grade of the mountain. It had been many years since he had trekked over Japan by foot. As they rose, the temperature began to drop and frost dotted the leaves. The air was fresher up in the mountains; the smell of the rice fields had faded when they left the trading town. </p><p>When they had left Fujinomiya, it had been early in the morning, but the sun was setting when the earth evened out. On the crest of one of the hills they were climbing, there was a smaller path to the left, while the main road veered off to the right. Kakashi indicated the smaller path with a tilt of his head, and they led the huffing mule even further uphill in the opposite direction of the main road. </p><p>The forest grew thicker, and the path became only wide enough for them to walk single file. Both men had to duck and walk at an angle to maneuver the thick woods, with Kakashi leading and Itachi stabilizing the shaking cart from behind. In the distance, Itachi could hear streams and rivers running, and he assumed the path wound parallel to one of the creeks.</p><p>Legs screaming in protest from the long day of hiking, Itachi was about to ask for a break when the retired samurai pulled back a particular low-hanging branch.  The forest suddenly gave way to a massive clearing. Several buildings were dispersed in the empty space. Long grass, browned and drowned in the soaking rain, blew idly in the breeze, and it felt warmer here than it had on their journey. The setting sun dotted the grass through the trees. Itachi was able to take a deep breath and shake out his aching legs.</p><p>A shriek echoed through the clearing. Dark obsidian eyes sharpened as three young children ran around one of the buildings; there were two boys and a girl and seemed to be around twelve winter’s old. One boy with spikey brown hair looked behind him. </p><p>“You can’t catch us, onii-san!” he cried out, but he tripped on something protruding from the dirt. The next boy, a frail young man with spectacled eyes, grabbed his arm to hoist him up to continue their escape.</p><p>Then, curving around the building sprinted a red fox with long whiskers, galloping behind them at an alarmingly fast gait. Except the fox was not normal, and the sight of such a creature made Itachi’s eyes widen as he fought his nature to step back. He had not been prepared to encounter a supernatural creature here, but perhaps he should have.</p><p>The fox was bigger than the mule that stood idly next to them, starting to graze as the humans had halted, and not one, not two, not three, but nine full tails made of fire were sprouting from the end of the charging fox. The flames of the tails licked the dying grass and singed the ends black.</p><p>The animal released a growl that sounded like something Itachi had never heard – a mix between an irritated yip and a demon’s shriek. It made every hair on the nape of his neck stand on end. A deep breath left him. </p><p>“A kitsune-tsukai?” he whispered. Kakashi chuckled. </p><p>“Kitsune-mochi,” he corrected. “The Uzumaki kitsune clan has been tied to the Senju for generations. Naruto there is Sakura-hime’s familiar. His grandmother was paired with Tsunade-sama, his mother, Kushina, with Sakura’s mother, Mebuki.”</p><p>“When the rice seller called Sakura-sama a witch…” Itachi let his thought, his question, trail at the end, hoping that Kakashi would take the bait. He did with a chuckle. </p><p>“Oh, he meant it quite literally,” he informed. “Like her grandmother and mother before her, Sakura-hime has inherited a demon and has been trained in the slug arts. She inherited many gifts.”</p><p>Itachi took a deep breath and expelled it, willing his tense body to calm. “Nine tails,” he remarked. “He is powerful.”</p><p>“He doesn’t even realize it most of the time,” the former samurai said with a nod and a little sigh, as if the fox’s ignorance in this matter was a great burden on Kakashi.</p><p>The silver-haired man grabbed the lead for the mule again and began guiding him to a smaller building on the far right. Judging by the smoke discharging from the chimney, it was likely the food storehouse and the kitchen. Tentatively, Itachi followed, trying to ignore the children’s goading and the kitsune’s cries. </p><p>He had just finished helping Kakashi unload all of their food in enchanted bamboo boxes that magically kept the fare cold, and therefore, edible much longer, when the angry screams from the fox died down. When they emerged from the storehouse and kitchen, there was a woman standing at the open door to the main house.</p><p>She was young, a few years younger than him, it would seem. Her round face lacked any makeup but seemed to glow with something unnatural. Pink hair was piled in a bun, held together by two ivory sticks that crossed at the crown of her head. </p><p>The beautiful girl was wearing a deep blue kimono, but it was not closed and tied properly with an obi. Instead, it was tied with a white chord just below her breasts so it hung open, showing the majority of the white under layer and her entire collar bone down to where he could see the slightest shadow of her cleavage. </p><p>Her clothing was simple but clearly made of very fine materials, and it had a train that drug behind her almost a full meter. The sleeves were long and covered her hands.  </p><p>Itachi felt his cheeks heat up at the sight of her, clad immodestly, but was distracted when she spoke. There was an aura around her, something almost otherworldly, something intangible, which drew him to her. Her voice possessed the same quality, and he almost took a step towards her when she smiled at the scene in front of her, eyes soft with amusement, and opened her mouth. </p><p>“Stop,” she commanded. The fox instantly fell silent. Sakura turned away from him, a smile on her face, towards the three who were goading the kitsune into a fight. “I asked for three full baskets of angelica for the purification powder I’m making. I only have one and a half. You three are to go finish your task. No dinner until you do.”</p><p>There was a chorus of groans, but the trio ran to get their baskets to complete their assignment. As they ran away, the woman yelled, “Bring me caraway seed if you can find it! You’ll have to do it tomorrow if you don’t tonight!”</p><p>They all shouted affirmations. It was not until they were well into the forests that the girl, woman, turned her emerald eyes onto Itachi. She glanced at him briefly, before looking at Kakashi. The older man nudged Itachi and began walking towards her. She seemed to whisper something under her breath. </p><p>As she did, the fox’s tails began to recede. Smoke erupted around the animal, and when it cleared, a blond boy with bright blue eyes and an even brighter grin was standing there in garish orange hakama, matching kataginu, and a white kimono underneath. The overall kamishimo was like nothing that Itachi had ever seen before. </p><p>While his smile was genuine, the young man did seem to eye Itachi with a sense of cautious curiosity. </p><p>“Kakashi-sensei!” he greeted the silver-haired man. “You brought home a snack!” </p><p>“Naruto,” Sakura chastised, but a smile played at the corners of her lips. The boy’s grin stretched further, revealing longer canines than the normal human. The princess seemed to roll her eyes a bit before her unwavering attention focused on Itachi. He felt small under her stare, as if he was being tried and judged without knowing the charges against him. Seemingly understanding something that he did not, she merely smiled knowingly and invited, “Please, come in. I’ll make tea.”</p><p>They sat in a tatami covered tea room. There were many blankets to sit under to keep warm. Naruto stoked a low fire to life to warm the cold air as Sakura prepared tea, serving it with onigiri and grilled fish for supper. Staying quiet, Itachi observed the dynamic between the three. As Naruto joked and Kakashi rolled his lone visible eye, Sakura giggled at her kitsune’s antics. They seemed to be very good friends.</p><p>“So,” Sakura started as they finished their lunch. Naruto carried away stacks of plates and cups to be washed later. “What do I owe a visit from the heir to the great Uchiha clan of the north?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He had been travelling for weeks to find Jiraiya, and he was unused to the comforts of a home as opposed to the perilous road that had been on for so long.</p><p>Unable to sleep in the spacious room that had been provided for him, Itachi padded down the main hallway of the house quietly, looking for the path that would lead to the outhouse. The night was brisk, the cold air filling his lungs sharply. In another room, he heard one of Sakura’s attendants, the girl, stoke a fire in an irori to life. He watched her silhouette in the shoji screen before she laid down to sleep, curling herself under a pile of blankets to stave off the unusually chilly air. </p><p>He moved on silently. </p><p>His ability to remain hidden, remain silent, was one of his many talents. It had taken him years of sneaking throughout the Uchiha compound with Sasuke and Shisui to perfect, but his ability in stealth earned the name Shikage during the war. Nobody had ever placed a real name to the death shadow; nobody knew it was him (although he was starting to get the impression that perhaps Sakura-hime suspected). He had managed to make a reputation by silently assassinating entire families, clans, even villages, without raising an alarmed cry. </p><p>In and out without being seen, like a Shinigami had cursed their village on a whim. </p><p>He had been surprised when Sakura had mentioned that she had heard of his family, had seemingly heard of him. She had lifted her lips that secret smirk of hers, an otherworldly smile of wisdom and knowledge. </p><p>“The members of the Uchiha clan all possess a similar aura. And, if you look closely enough in the right light, you realize that their eyes are the deepest, darkest shade of red, not black,” Sakura had said, although he was still unsure. As far as he knew, no one else in his clan had traveled to the Edo area in almost a generation, so he did not know where this woman would have met one of his kin. </p><p>As he slipped through the home silently, he heard the low murmuring of voices from the tearoom where he had taken dinner with his hosts earlier. Peering in through a slit in the slightly ajar shoji, he saw Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura huddled around the low, long table. Only Kakashi was facing him, as Naruto and Sakura were curled towards the lanterns they had lit to illuminate the table. </p><p>There was now a large map of Japan spread across the table, marked with mountain ranges and paths over and between them. Kakashi’s finger traced a path. </p><p>“Traveling north will be impossible until after the spring thaw. I have heard reports of snow coming further and further south. Once the snow and ice melt, it should take us less than a week to get to Onuma Lake,” he was explaining matter-of-factly. His lone visible eye was squinting in the low light, his demeanor serious. Sakura nodded. </p><p>“That will give me time to make arrangements here,” she agreed. “Will we be able to keep the balance until then? What if the floods reach here?”</p><p>Kakashi’s answer was grunt. Instead of answering the question, he complained, “I don’t like the idea of you leaving the mountain. You won’t be as protected.”</p><p>Although he could not see Sakura’s face, he could hear the smile in her voice when she replied. </p><p>“I am more than capable of defending myself,” she countered, her voice soft and calm. “Plus, you and Naruto will be with me, right?” </p><p>A drawn-out sigh escaped Kakashi, but Naruto laughed. “Of course, Sakura-chan,” he assured in a voice louder than the others. The blonde grasped his friend’s hand in his, squeezing it tight before letting it drop. “We wouldn’t let you go alone with that guy anyway. Who knows where he even comes from?”</p><p>Tensing, Itachi moved down the hall so he could hear but would be less visible if someone were to look out. </p><p>“We can trust him,” Kakashi assured, surprisingly sure in his assessment of the unknown man. “I’d smell it on him if he were deceitful.”</p><p>“But he could still be a pervert, Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto complained too loudly. Sakura shushed him with a playful fist in the side of his head, but it did not deter the blond. “We can’t leave him alone with our Sakura-chan. He could try to steal her away and marry her or something!”</p><p>Sakura shushed him again. “Kakashi was the one who offered my services in the first place,” she reminded with a light laugh. </p><p>“I thought you would contact Tsunade and Jiriaya, not commit to a journey across the country. Orochimaru is your grandparent’s burden to bear,” Kakashi scolded. Itachi could sense the air shift precariously and didn’t have time to foresee the dangerous growl that escaped the seemingly mild-mannered woman as her power surged around her, invisible to the naked eye but still stifling in its grandeur. </p><p>“And Sasuke-kun is ours,” she rumbled viciously, her soft tone all but washed away from the rage there. An encompassing silence followed the previously light banter, the room’s tension oppressive with her power seeming out of her like a rolling fog coming from the mountains into the valley. As quick as the power emerged, it receded at once into the woman.  </p><p>“Speaking of my grandparents,” Sakura sighed, sounding exhausted. “I will go make contact.”</p><p>She stood gracefully, pulling shawl over her shoulders and tying it in front of her. Taking this as his queue to leave, Itachi snuck to the outside facing screen and opened it silently, tiptoeing to the bathhouse. He arrived just as she stepped down from the engawa and wandered slowly into the nearby forest. On the cusp of the forest, just before stepping into the grove of trees, she turned to face Itachi and meet his eyes. </p><p>She grinned, and he couldn’t help but think it looked a little feral. </p><p>“Come with me,” she commanded. Itachi couldn’t help but feel nervous. He was strong, fast, and could defend himself from, but whatever power Sakura held behind her eyes was not something he was prepared to fight if it came to it. As if pulled to her by the words alone, he stepped from the bathhouse and walked across the thick grass. </p><p>Once he reached her, she turned without further word and began to trek into the forest swiftly. She maneuvered around the trees easily; she was born and raised in these woods, and it seemed as if that walking through them was as easy as breathing. He was not so lucky, and he had to work hard to keep up with her, often tripping over rocks and having branches strike him in the face. </p><p>After only a few moments of silently wandering through the forest, Sakura veered and pointed to a massive Japanese beech tree, with roots growing out of the side of a large hill, a spiritual energy permeating the air around it. The width was so large that he and Sakura likely couldn’t connect hands around it. A shimenawa hung loosely around it, various charms and talismans hanging from the sacred rope. </p><p>“This is an old tree,” he commented, so struck by the spiritual presence, He felt foolish the moment he did. Sakura chuckled. </p><p>“Indeed,” she murmured sardonically, her voice quiet as not to disturb the calm around them. “My grandmother told me that this tree was planted by the goddess Konohanasakuya-hime when she created Mount Fuji. But we are here because the kodama can send a message to my grandmother.”</p><p>Sakura seemed to glide over the ground to the tree and pressed her hand to it. The moment she did, shining lights seemed to melt from the leaves and knots of the old beech tree, no larger than anyone could wrap their hands around. Itachi had seen kodama before on his travels, but never so close. He had never felt their calming presence or power. His aching lungs seemed to breathe easier the moment the little light spirits emerged. </p><p>One of them drifted to Sakura, who held her hand up and captured the little light in her palms. Entranced, Itachi watched as she held the light up to her lips and pressed it to them. After holding it to her mouth for a moment, she released it and it floated back to the tree. The lights danced around them for a moment, but Itachi couldn’t help but keep his eyes on the witch in front of him, her eyes shining with a contented mirth as the tree spirits spent time flying around them. </p><p>Finally, Sakura sighed. </p><p>“We should return before Kakashi and Naruto come after us,” she told him, raising a teasing eyebrow. He felt his cheeks heat and hoped the darkness hid it. On the return journey, Sakura walked slower and ensured that he had an easier time maneuvering the forest than the walk there. </p><p>Once they emerged to the clearing with the spacious home, Itachi noticed Kakashi sitting on the porch watching them intently. Sakura did not move forward, but instead seemed to wait for the man to come to them. </p><p>“I know you have many questions, ones that I will answer over the coming weeks while we all work on the best course of action,” she finally said, genuine exhaustion prevalent in the way her shoulders hunched as they watched Kakashi unfurl himself from the engawa and make his way over to them carefully. His eyes were combing Itachi and Sakura, switching between the two as if searching for something. </p><p>“I would like to be apart of the planning,” Itachi countered carefully. “Sasuke is my brother.”</p><p>Sakura smiled wryly. “Of course, Itachi-san,” she replied easily. “I apologize. It has been a long time since outsiders have been on this mountain. We are not used to including anyone in our family. For what it’s worth, I’m glad that you are here.”</p><p>She smiled at him so hard and genuinely that her eyes turned into crescents. Itachi couldn’t help but return a smirk of his own, relishing in how her cheeks turned pink. By this time, Kakashi had closed the distance between them and was openly glaring at Itachi. </p><p>Not sure what he had done to earn the ire of the legendary Copy Shinobi, Itachi thought it best to turn in for the night, now sure he was tired enough to sleep. He bowed deeply to his hosts and walked swiftly to the outhouse in order to relieve himself before returning to the main house. When he turned, he saw that Sakura and Kakashi were still on the edge of the woods. He couldn’t see clearly, but he saw Sakura’s hand reach up and cup Kakashi’s masked face tenderly. The other man patted Sakura’s hair affectionately and looked down at her lovingly. </p><p>Itachi felt heat suffuse his cheeks at witnessing such an intimate scene. </p><p>Oh. </p><p>Oh. </p><p>______<br/></p><p>The next morning, Kakashi woke him at dawn by bringing in a steaming cup of tea and a plate of rice balls. The tension of the previous night seemed to have dissipated, and the man smiled at Itachi warmly as he stoked the small hearth in his room for him to brighten the embers. </p><p>The cool air seeped through the thin paper of the shoji screen, and Itachi found it difficult to pull the warm blankets off. After folding up his futon and placing it in the attached closet, he quickly devoured his breakfast and drank his tea, stoking the coals and warming his hands around the irori in the center of his room. </p><p>He only had a few spare sets of clothes, and although they were warm, they were not holding well against the unusually cold winter. They were starting to fray at the edges from all the travel, and Itachi knew that he would have to replace them soon. </p><p>Just as he was thinking of doubling up on his haori, there was a light tap on the shoji door that attached to the hallway. Itachi gave a soft greeting. One of the boys from the night before, the one with floppy brown hair and glasses, slid the door open slowly. A large pile of clothing was in his hands. </p><p>“Sakura-hime asked me to bring these to you. She said you would not last a week in your clothes,” he informed Itachi, a blush spreading across his cheeks, as if he’d revealed too much about his princess’ words. Setting the pile down on the tatami in front of Itachi, he bowed deeply and scrambled from the room before Itachi could even speak. </p><p>The four sets of clothing that the mistress of the house had sent were made of thick cotton and lined with a layer of wool. They were all dyed dark colors – two black sets, one navy blue, and one dark gray. There was a hanten, a haori, and a pair of hakama with each set. Itachi decided on the navy blue and was instantly gratified with warmth from the well-made clothing. </p><p>Emerging from his room, he meandered to the front of the home, where the shoji doors he had snuck through the night before were thrown open. Woven bamboo waraji, that were also showing wear from the amount of traveling he had done, were pulled on before stepping into the large clearing. He was surprised to find a layer of frost on the ground. </p><p>The pretty witch was sitting on the engawa, her feet hanging over the edge. She was in thick clothes like his, just her set were bright red and white. Her pink hair was let down, falling past her lower back, and it pooled onto the boards behind her. Itachi wondered how long her hair was, and he suppressed the urge to try to find out.</p><p>There was an empty cup of tea next to her, and a large bamboo bowl was held on her lap. In the yard, both Naruto and Kakashi were engaged in a friendly spar, using bamboo swords instead of katana so no harm would be done. </p><p>Sakura did not turn around when he emerged from inside the house. Instead, she nodded to the empty space to her left. </p><p>“Sit,” she commanded. Folding his legs underneath him, he placed himself a respectful distance from her. The bowl in her lap was low and large. A thick paste, the color of dark pine needles, stuck to the edges of the basin. </p><p>Sakura was scraping it with a spatula, trying to get it to glob together in the middle. Her fingers were long and graceful, and Itachi found himself entranced by them. The spatula was knocked against the edge, the last splatters falling off the spoon; she set it to the side. </p><p>Then, to Itachi’s surprise, Sakura dipped her hand into the bowl, so it hovered just above the poultice inside. Before he could ask her what she was doing, her forearm and hand were engulfed in an emerald colored flame. Looking at her curiously, he noticed the color had drained from her eyes, the lens, now eerily white, surrounded by a black iris. It was as if her magic was stored in her eyes and had been sapped into her hands.</p><p>In the background, he vaguely registered Naruto’s and Kakashi’s battle intensifying, the younger male goading the former samurai, who did not respond to the jabs. </p><p>The concoction lit on fire, drawing his attention back, and burned brightly for a few moments. Once the flames receded into her hands and arm, and she pulled her hand up. The cream was a little darker in color and seemed to be smoother. Her eyes were bright green again. </p><p>“Moegi,” Sakura called. From around the side of the house, the girl ran up, a woven bamboo basket swinging from her arm. She deposited the basket on the engawa and took the bowl from Sakura. “Split this up into three separate containers. One is going to the Akamichi family. We will keep the other two in our stores. Make sure to label them.”</p><p>“Yes, Sakura-sama,” the girl replied. Her eyes met Itachi’s for a moment, and he allowed himself to smile. She blushed and ran off, giggling nervously. When he turned away, Sakura was grinning at him mischievously, and it was his turn to feel heat flush his cheeks. </p><p>“There is a great snowstorm coming, Uchiha-san,” she told him. His eyebrow arched. A wind swept through the clearing, biting into his exposed skin. It smelled of dead grass and pine trees. </p><p>“It rarely snows much this far south,” he replied speculatively. A secret smile spread across her lips. As another wind gusted through the clearing, Sakura pulled the lapels of her blood red kimono closer together. The sun was rising higher in the sky, melting the frost on the ground and warming up the prairie around them. </p><p>“The floods your brother has caused have far reaching effects. Have you noticed how cold it is?” she asked, but it seemed to be rhetorical. She sighed deeply. “Orochimaru caused this. He is the responsibility of my family. In less than a month, the thaw will set in and we will depart to stop your brother.”</p><p>Not sure how she was so sure that the Snake Sage had caused the current predicament his brother had found himself in, Itachi decided to take her word for it. </p><p>“Last night, with the kodama,” he let the question trail at the end.</p><p>“The kodama protect large forests, and there are many sacred trees throughout Japan. They can communicate. They will find my grandparents and inform them what has happened and request them to return to the mountain. Once they are here, we can leave,” she explained. He could tell she was unused to explaining herself. She was the type of person who had her orders and whims followed without question. It made Itachi uneasy. She had yet to explain how she knew his brother, and he was unsure if she would ever explain everything. It begged the question – could he trust her?</p><p>“That’s enough questions for now. There are a few nearby shrines we need to visit over the next week, and we will need to go to town to deliver and retrieve any orders before the snow hits,” she said. Deciding to give her time, Itachi nodded. </p><p>Sakura’s eyes returned to where Kakashi had thrown Naruto to the ground with his bamboo sword at the blonde’s throat. The way her eyes followed the shinobi were telling, but Itachi had seen enough the prior night to know what he would see if he looked at her directly. </p><p>Sakura saw him watching her watching Kakashi and turned away, the apples of her cheeks bright. Although inexplicably disappointed by the turn of events, Itachi couldn’t help it – he laughed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you all for the lovely comments, and all of the kudos and bookmarks! I appreciate you reading and reviewing my work.</p><p>* irori: sunken hearth commonly used to heat the home<br/>*engawa: edging strip of non-tatami-matted flooring, usually wood or bamboo; they resembles a porch or sunroom<br/>* haori: hip- or thigh-length kimono-style jacket, worn over a koso<br/>* I get a lot of my information about Japanese legends, gods, demons, and so much more from yokai.com. If this website didn’t exist, neither would this story.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chikara is the Japanese word meaning power, capability, or influence</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>